Chapo's Lawyer Claims Renato Sales Took Cartel Money

The lawyer for 'El Chapo' and his family say the inmate's health is in terrible condition, and the National Human Rights Commission is ignoring them

The defense of Joaquín “Chapo” Guzmán Loera reported that national security commissioner Renato Sales received money from the Pacific cartel.

In a press conference outside the maximum security prison of Altiplano, José Luis González Meza, the lawyer representing “El Chapo” said that Renato Sales received money from criminal groups.

“Renato Sales received money, we can certify, verify that he received money from the Pacific cartel — if he received money from Pacific cartel, then he received money from all the cartels,” said González Meza. “At the time I’m going to say to them, look, here was a deposit, here is the person or here is the video where a they delivered a certain amount, we have strong evidence.”

However he did not say on what date the federal official received money.

He said at the press conference that the family sent 5 cards addressed to various international bodies, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, to ask for his intervention.

The Deputy Prosecutor for Organized Crime of the PGR, Gustavo Salas Chávez, accompanied by the director-general of international procedures, José Manuel Merino Madrid. Photo: Cuartoscuro/Courtesy of PGR.

They criticized the work of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH).

“How is it possible that the National Human Rights Commission says it is fine that “El Chapo” Guzman, that he’s taken out twice for exercise, nothing more than this,” the lawyer said. “They lie, so the family goes to international organizations, no longer believing in the National Human Rights Commission.”

He noted that Emma Coronel, current partner of Chapo, found nothing to show improved conditions inside the prison.

“They told me with sadness that unfortunately Chapo was in terrible condition, they did not know what kind of drugs they were giving him,” said González Meza. “They confessed that he looked very pale, very yellow, haggard, trembling.”

“The situation is the same in solitary confinement, trampling his constitutional guarantees and human rights established in the Constitution itself.”

He said they have not respected the eight injunctions brought against torture, and the defense of human rights.

José Luis González Meza, “Mr. Rodríguez said yesterday to the media that an amparo was filed, but there are 8 previous injunctions that have not been respected.”

The defense will continue outside the Federal Center for Social Rehabilitation (Cefereso) to demand better conditions for the detained drug trafficker.